Device for automatically anchoring submarine mines at a predetermined depth independently of the bottom of the sea.



G. E. ELIA. DEVICE H23 AUTGMAHCALLY ANCHOHING SUBMARINE MINES AT A PREDETERMINED DEPTH INDEPENDENTLYOF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. APPLICATION FILED ocL 1.1914.

1,16%27fi, Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fig.1, d

fla ng G. E. EUA. DEVICE FGR AUTOMATICALLY ANCHORING SUBMARINE MINES AT A PREDETERMINED DEPTH INDEPENDENTLY OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, I914- 1-1? %?& Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. E. ELIA.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMAHCALLY ANCHOHING SUBMARINE MINES AT A PHED ETERMINED DEPTH INDEPEN'DE NTLY OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. I914.

Patented Jam. 4, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 G. E ETTA. DEVICE FOR AUTOMAUCALLY ANCHORING SUBMARINE MINES AT A PREDETERMINED [EEPTH INDEPEND ENTLY OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. APPLICATION FILED 00?. T. 1914.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA. or

PARIS. FRANCE. ASSIGNOR TO VICKERS LIMITED.'OF LONDON. ENGLAND.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY ANCHCRING SUBMARTNE MINES AT A PREDET'ERMINED DEPTH INDEPENDENTLY OFTHE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

Specification of ietters Patent.

Patented an. t, 1916.

Application filed October 1, 1914. Serial No. 864.414.

Tour/Z c/tom it may concern:

lie it known that I. Giovaxxl EMAXUELE ll-LH. a SllbJtttof the King of Italy. and

residing at llotel de Crillon, Place de la" Concorde. laris. 'Fiai'ice. gentleman. have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in and relating to devices for automatically anchoring submarine mines at a predetermined depth independently of the bottom of the sea. of which the following is r a complete specification.

This invention relates to a device for antomatically a ichoring-subinarine mines at a predetermined depth independently of the bottom of the sea. f

The submarine mines proper are generally provided with a mooring anchorresting on the bottom of the sea so that the use of these mines is limited to shallow waters. the 20 lengthof the cable wound on the drum of the anchor hardly ever exceeding 100 meters as a rule 1 these mines therefore are not adapted for use on the high seas so that it 'l as'ali'eznly been proposed for great depths to use mines tlcating between .the surface and the bottom and maintained at a predetermined depth by devices controlled by the height of the water of submersion. These devices. however. have the drawback of being insensitive while having a complicated construction. .Furthermore. ithas already been proposed to provide the usual submarine mines .having a mooring anchor. with a. devi e enabling them to be used as floating mines but the transformation of these mines -into floating mines necessitates a certain" time which considerablydecreases the advantages tlni-s realized. 3 i The anchoring device forming the object of this invention permits of realizing the automatic transformation of anchored mines into floating mines when the depth of the sea cxcceds'thc length of the iiiooi'ing cable contained in the anchor so that scon after the launching .the submarine mine places itself automatically at a predetermined depth whatever the depth of the sea may be. The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of etai'nplc. a construction embodying the invention.

1 Figure 1 illustrates in section. an anchor according to the invention: Fig. 1 is'a detail; Fig.2 is an external view of this anchor, partly insection, showing the members in another position: Figs. 3and i show diagranimatically the various positions which the mine assumes according to the depth of the sea: Fig. 5- is a diagram showing the. disposition of a number of mines located by a mine-laying shipf In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1,

the anchor comprises a casing a, for instance. made of sheet metal and preferably not flnid-tight. provided with an inner chamber 6 in which a drum 0 for the mooriiig cable (I. is located- This drum is formed oii oiie of its cheeks with teeth e of usual construction. adapted to-be engaged by a locking pawl f to which the sounder g is (.'0Ii11t-0t6tl in the known manner.

-This sounder is maintained in the idle position illustratedin Fig. 1. for instance, by means of the doors h or in any other suitable manner. Upon the end of tlie shaft is of the drum 0 a pinion m or preferably a worm is provided. engaging with a toothed wheel lkeyed upon the axis 0 of a disk or plate p (Figs. 1 and 1") formed at one point of its periphery with a notch or the like (7. 'In.

its normal position shown in Fig. 1. this disk p serves as an abutment for the tappet r integral with the locking rods which a spring 1 tends constantly to draw in the direction indicated by the arrow F in Fig. 1. This rod is'suitably curved or bent at its 'ends so as to penetrate the lugs 11 integral with a heavy mass I which constitutes an overload for the anchor. and is thus suspended from the latter through the medium of the rod On the mooring cable a a ring j is adapted to slide. to which a cable .1 is secured the length ofivhich corresponds to the depth of immersion of the mine. and is secured at its other end to a float 1 of small size which when mounted is located as illustrated in Fig. 1 in a recess formed in the casing 11. ot' the anchor. It isretained in this recess by the mass r.

The operation is as follows: hen-the mine is laid in shallow water. secured to the mooring cable wound on the drum of the anchor. the length of this .cable bei g generally 100 meters. the anchor 1/ rests as shown in Fig. 3 on the bottom of the sea. the depth, .ot' immersion H of the mine being detera having its weight increased by the mass 4) and the water penetrating its interior, rests on the bottom of the sea the unwinding movement of the 'drum being stopped, as usual, when the sounder reaches the bottom. When the mine is launched at sea at a point where the depth of the water is greater than 100 meters, the sounder drops and liberates the pawl f from the teeth a of tl-e drum 0 as in the preceding case but as nothing stops its fall, the mooring cabled is entirely unwound. During the rotation of the drl It, the pinion or worm m rotates the gear wheel a and the disposition of theparts is calculated in such a manner that when the mooring cable is entirely unwound, the notch Q of the disk 7) is located opposite the tappet'r of the locking rod 8. The spring t then acts so as to displace this itching rod in the direction indicated by the arrow F in Fig. 1 so that this rod is disengaged from the lugs 26 thus liberating the heavy anass I. which drops freely as shown in Fig. 2. The float 3 liberated by the drop of r, rises to the surface of the water as illustrated in Fig. 4; the weight of the anchorand of its sounder is preferably slightly greater than the buoy ancy of the mine so that the total buoyancy of the elements is only that of the float y. The latter therefore maintains the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 4, the mine 2 remaining at a distance -from the level of the water equal to the length of the free cable .2". In this connection it must be pointed out that the float 1 being of a small size, it fo lows therefrom that owing to the movements of the sea this float remains almost constantly immersed and is practically always at a distance of a few centimeters below the surface of the sea thus rendering it invisible. The mine 2 is provided with a suitable firing device and on being struck by a moving ship when the parts occupy the positions illustrated in Fig. 4, the mine is unable to move laterally owing to the anchor a. which oifers a resistance to the water.

The mine, therefore, will rotate owing to contact with the said ship and will thus be exploded.

By using this device it is possible to operate as follows as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 5: \Vhen a mine laying ship A leaves a port in order to form a barrier of submarine mines, it lays mines first of all in shallow waters these mines resting with their anchors on the bottom of the sea as shown in the left hand portion of Fig. 5, as long as the depth does not exceed 100 meters, that is to say the normal length of the mooring cable wound on the drum of the anchor of each mine. If the depth increases at the point where the mines are to be laid, the ship continues to locate them according to the diagram which enables the desired effect to be obtained. Each of these mines laid in greater depths assumes the position illustrated in the right hand half of Fig. 5 and shown in detail in Fig. 4; when the 100 meters of cable have been unwound, the mass 21 drops down thus liberating the float ;1 which rises along the mooring cable sliding upon the latter through the medium of its ring j which bears on' the lower part of the mine. The anchor (1 fills gradually with water and the mines laid successively assume the disposition indicated on the'right of Fig. 5, their depth ofimn'iersion being controlled by the length of the cables in each case. The following are the advantages: This disposition permits of realizing automatically the maintenance of the submarine mines at the desired depth of immersion whether the mine is retained by an anchor resting on the bottom of the sea' or is floatingtherein, the anchor being modified automatically in accordance with the requirements of each case. It is therefore possible to lay a group of mines in front of a moving squadron of men-of-war whatever the depth of the sea may be without it beingnecessary to effect any manipulation of the anchors at the time of launching the submarine mines.

In the above construction, the mine is retained in the position in which it has been laid by increasing automatically the total buoyancy of the mine and its accessories by decreasing the weight of the anchor; this increase of buoyancy may also be effected by preserving the launching disposition of the anchor and providing a float of suitable dimensions which wouldbe inflated by the formation of a suitable gas at the moment the anchor remains suspended from its mooring ring. For instance, it may be possible-to provide in the float a charge of calcium earbid in proximity to a tube containing water which could be broken at the desired moment. The various elements may also be disposed in such a manner as to increase the buoyancy of the mine and its anchor by-preventing a decrease of the buoyancy which takes place in the present mines when the anchor is filled with sea water. In this case it would be sufficient to convert the anchor into a fluid-tight casing provided with cocks or suitable members intended to permit of the introduction of water. In this case before the launching of the mine, these members would have to be shut off when the bottom of the sea is supposed to be at a greater depth than the length of the mooring cable.

The construction of the various parts may differ from that illustrated. The liberation of the locking rod 8 may be effected in any suitable manner.- provided that this release is produced at the end of the unwinding of the mooring cable. The overload of the anchor may be effected in any manner other than bythe heavy mass o. It

submarine mines applicable to all kinds of fired mechanically, electrically, chemically or otherwise.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A device for automatically anchoring submarine mines at a predetermined depth, comprising an anchoring device carrying a floatand provided with means for reducing the weightthereof to permit it tobe supported by the float, whereby provision is made for converting a mine adapted to be anchored onthe bottom of the sea into a floating mine. I

2. A device for automatically anchoring submarine mines at a predetermined dr pth independently of the bottom of the sea, comprising an anchoring device carrying a float and provided with a detachable weight and means for releasing the weight when the anchoring device reaches a predetermined depth.

3. A device for automatically anchoring submarine mines at predetermined depth,

comprising an anchoring device provided with a detachable weight, afloat retained in inoperative position by the weight, and means for releasing the weight and thereby the float when the anchoring device reaches a predetermined depth.

4. A device for automatically anchoring submarine mines at a predetermined depth, comprising an anchoring device provided with a detachable weight, a float retained in inoperative position by the weight and having a cable the length of which is equal to the depth at which the mine is to be immersed and slidable on the mooring cable of the anchoring device, and means for releasing the weight when the anchoring device reaches a predetermined depth.

5. In an anchoring device for submarine mines, a casing, a drum mounted in the casing, a mooring cable on the drum, a weight at the bottom of the casing, means detachably engaging the weight, to hold it to the casing; and means for releasing the holding means from the weight when the mooring cable has been unwound from the drum.

6. In an anchoring device for submarine mines, a casing, a drum mounted in the casing and having a pinion on one end of its shaft, a mooring cable on the drum, a shaft mounted in the casing and provided witlta-gear wheel meshing with the pinion of the drum and with a weight at the bottom of the casing. a'notched disk, and a sliding and spring pressed rod having detachable engagement with the weight and provided with an arm projecting up atone side of the notched disk.

, l. The combination of a submarine mine adapted -to float at a predetermined depth below the surface of the sea, an anchor carrying a float and connected with the mine and adapted to rest on the bottom of the sea in depths less than a predetermined depth and to float at depths greater than.

such predetermined depth, and a weight on the anchor adapted to be automatically r6- 'leased and dropped therefrom when the anchor reaches such predetermined depth, whereby the buoyancy of the whole mine and its accessories are increased and ,the

mine prevented from being drawn to the bottom of the sea.

8. The combination of a submarine mine adapted to float'at a predetermined depth below the surface of the sea, an anchor connected with the mine and adapted to rest on the bottom of the sea in depths less than a predetermined depth and to float at depths greater than such predetermined depth, a weight on the anchor adapted to be automatically released and dropped therefrom when the anchor reaches such predetermined depth, and a float adapted to be' released from the anchor when the said weight is dropped to add buoyancy to the mine.

9. The combination of a submarine mine adapted to float at a predetermined depth below the surface of the sea, an anchor carrying a float and connected with the mine and adapted to rest on the bottom of the sea in depths less than a predetermined depth and to float at depths greater than such predetermined depth, a cable attaching the mine to the anchor, a device in the anchor for unwinding the cable as the anchor sinks during mooring, a weight carried by-the anchor, and means controlled by the said device to automatically release and drop the weight when the anchor reaches a predetermined depth.

10. The combination of a submarine mine adapted to float at a predetermined depth below the surface of the sea, an anchor connected with the mine and. adapted to rest on the bottom of the sea in depths less than a predetermined depth and to float at depths greater than such predetermined depth, a cable attaching the mine to the anchor, a device in the an hor for unwinding the cable as the anchor sinks during mooring, a weight carried by the anchor, means controlled by the said device to automatically release and drop the weightwhen the anchor reaches a predetermined depth, a float carried by the anchor and released therefrom simultaneou; v'with the weight, and means &

connecting the float with the cable and permitting the'fioat to assume a position above the mine and approximately at the surface of the sea.

11. The combination of a submarine mine adapted to float at a predetermined depth below the surface of the sea. an anchor connected with the mine and adapted to rest on the bottom of the sea in depths less than a predetermined depth and to float at depths greater than such predetermined depth, a cable attaching the mine to the anchor, a device in the anchor for unwinding the cable as the anchor sinks'during mooring, a weight carried by the anchor, means controlled by the said device to automatically release and drop the weight when the anchor reaches a predetermined depth. a float carried by the anchor and released therefrom simultanemlsly with the weight, a ring slidable along the cable and adapted to be arrested by the mine. and a cable connected with the ringand with the float. whereby the latter can float above the mine at approximately the surface of the sea.

12. The con'ibination of a submarine mine adapted to float at a predetermined depth below the surface of the sea. an anchor carrying a float and connected with the mine and adapted to rest on the bottom of the sea in depths less than a predetermined depth and to float at depths greater than such pre determined depth, a cable connected with the mine, a drnm in the anchor from which the cable unwmds, a Weight carried by the anchor, a locking element connecting the weight with the anchor,- and means for automatically releasing the locking element to permit the weight to drop when the cable 'is unwound to a predetermined point.

13. The eombinationof a submarine mine adapted to float at a predetermined depth below the surface of the sea, an anchor connected with the mine and adapted to rest on the bottom of the sea in depths less than a pre .leter1nined depth and to float at depths greater than such predetermined depth, a cable connected with the mine, a drum in the anchor from which the cable unwinds, a weight carried by the anchor, a locking element connecting the weight with the anchor, means for automatically releasing-the locking element to permit the weight to drop when the cable is unwound to a predetermined point, a float norirally positioned between the weight and anchor and automatically released when the weight drops from the anchor, and means for connecting the float with the cable and permitting the floatto occupy a position above the nnne and;

close to the surface of the sea.

In testimony whereof I have hereunt dset my hand at Rome this ninth day of S eptem-' ber 1914.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.- 

